Ultimate Game Changer

  I don’t know how I’m going to break the news to Braxton. I have no idea how he will take it. I’m not even sure how I’m taking it. There are going to have to be some tough decisions to be made.

  Deep down inside I’m worried that both Cade and I have let my parents down. One pregnant at twenty-two, and the other married? We sound like a family of winners all around.

  Chapter Thirty-Six:

  Braxton

  “So, I called this meeting because we need to decide how we are going to move forward with Spencer leaving in a few days,” Cade addresses the band. We are at our usual rehearsal space, but the mood is gloomy and blue. No one is excited to see Spencer go.

  This meeting could go one of two ways: we either decide to keep going sans Spencer and find a replacement, or we don’t keep going at all. I don’t like thinking about the second option. This band has been everything to me for the past four years. It’s been the good, the bad, and even the ugly at times. I’ve been able to tour and live off our earnings. We aren’t raking in a ton of dough, but every show we get gains us more recognition and more cash flow.

  Spencer looks the most troubled by this last minute meeting. “Look, guys, I’m really sorry. I wish I didn’t have to choose.”

  All of the guys are handling his decision differently. Red seems apathetic, Geo seems really torn up; I know Cade isn’t doing so well, and I’m definitely bummed.

  “So should we vote then?” Cade asks coldly. He thinks Spencer is throwing away the opportunity of a lifetime especially with how much traction we have been getting at every show. I understand how he feels, but at the end of the day, it’s Spencer’s decision and his future. I don’t want to influence that in any way; I want him to choose what is best for him.

  The vote is three to one in favor of replacing Spencer and continuing with the success of ADS. Red is the one who went rogue. “Do you want to leave too?” Cade accuses in an upset tone.

  Red’s eyes widen a little, surprised by the rage he caused. “I never said that.”

  “Are you sure about that?” Cade presses, his intensity growing.

  “Man, back the fuck up!” Red shouts in his face, standing from the couch.

  I know Cade is just upset and probably out of his mind with everything he’s been dealing with. His wife is sitting in the corner of the room silently observing in horror. It’s been close to a month and he hasn’t filed for anything yet. He acts guilty whenever we bring it up, almost like it’s wrong to break off a marriage that wasn’t right or real to begin with. Pooja seems like a nice enough girl; she’s a singer, so she fits very easily into our world.

  Cade backs away from Red, his hands held up in the air. “Chill. I’m just trying to figure out if we need to replace one or two of ya.”

  “I’m here, aren’t I?” Red huffs and then plops back down, arms across his chest.

  “So it’s decided then. Out with the old, and in with the new,” Cade jokes in an attempt to lighten the mood.

  Spencer stares back at him, his mouth agape.

  “I’m just fucking with you, dude. You’re an honorary member, and you’ll always be family,” Cade approaches Spencer and then pulls him in for a warm hug.

  Spencer looks relieved that the world isn’t going to stop turning just because he’s moving three thousand miles away.

  A text vibrates my phone and I open it eagerly after seeing the sender name. We need to talk.

  ***

  “Hey,” I holler into Emerson’s apartment before fully letting myself in.

  She isn’t in eyesight when I first close the door, but as I make my way through, I find her in the kitchen. She is staring down at some kind of plastic stick, but she isn’t saying anything.

  I approach her slowly, unsure of what is going on. “Hey, is everything alright?”

  She looks up from the countertop and there are tears in her eyes. Rushing to her, I pull her to me. “Are you hurt? Did someone hurt you?”

  I can feel her shaking her head in the crook of my neck. Releasing her, I hold her face in my hands. She takes a deep breath and then her eyes drop to that silly plastic tube.

  My hands drop from her face, and I reach for it, pulling it up to my eyes. Tru Blu is the brand, and there are two solid blue lines staring back at me. I’m not confused anymore. Dropping the plastic stick to the ground, my eyes search hers. “Is this real?”

  She nods, her hands covering her mouth.

  I feel like the room is spinning and I’m sweating bullets. Unsteadily, I make my way to her dining room table and sit down on one of the chairs, breathing heavily.

  How the fuck did you let this happen?

  I know I made the mistake of slipping inside without putting a condom on first, but it wasn’t my first rodeo. I’ve done that a few times before and never had anything like this happen. She just felt so damn good. The reality is setting in though because at twenty-five, I can pretty much assure you that I’m not ready to be a father, much less take care of an infant. I still live with my parents for fuck sake.

  “Maybe the test is wrong.” I grasp for straws. Anything that could explain what we both saw.

  She shakes her head. “Brax, I’m late.”

  “Late?”

  “Late… meaning I haven’t had my period yet. And I didn’t think anything of it at first, but I was nauseous two days last week.”

  I feel like the rug is being pulled from underneath me. “Well… what do you want to do?”

  She drops her head into her hands, rubbing her temples. “I don’t know. I was hoping you might tell me what you want to do.”

  Now that’s a bunch of pressure to put on someone. If I say she should have an abortion, she may be upset and hate me forever. If I say we should keep it, she may feel pressured to agree just because I want that. I’m unsure what the right answer is. “Put everything aside. What you should do, what is the right thing to do, and tell me truthfully what you want to do.”

  She lifts her chin up, staring at me through lowered lashes. “I think I want to keep it,” she says barely above a whisper.

  “Then it’s settled. We’ll figure everything else out later, but for now, at least we have a starting place.” Holy shit, did I really just say that? I’m going to be a father…

  Chapter Thirty-Seven:

  Emerson

  It’s been two months since I broke the news to Braxton about our little surprise. Time has moved so quickly since then. We kept the news to ourselves for as long as we could until I was showing enough for people to begin to ask questions. Mischa was surprisingly supportive and has offered multiple times to accompany me baby shopping. She never wanted to be a mother at the age she took us in, but I think she’s finally ready to entertain the idea of the possibility now that I am out of the house and Cade is getting his own place with Pooja.

  Oddly enough, things have been going well with Cade’s unplanned marriage. He is really trying, and not like the time with Breigh—this time I’m seeing the change every day. Of course, Breigh was absolutely devastated when she found out, but then she finally met someone. He’s great with her and he’s everything she deserves. I think everything happens for a reason, and Breigh was meant to be in Cade’s life as a lesson, not as the final game plan. This is the first time I’ve ever seen Cade dedicated to one person so wholeheartedly. Pooja is a good person, and she is a great influence on Cade.

  An even bigger surprise happened when Pooja introduced Cade to her drummer from Rebels with a Cause, and both Pooja and Darin from the band joined ADS. The sound of the band has changed quite a bit from their signature sound, but it’s actually expanded their fan base. It’s almost as if the fans from both bands merged and things have been moving fast ever since.

  Things are slowly falling into place in my life. Braxton has been making more money from ADS and will be able to pitch in starting next month. I’m still working at Greystreet serving drinks, but I’ve been applying to places closer to home so that it will be easier come the las
t months of the pregnancy. Greystreet is more than a half an hour away, and with the traffic sometimes more.

  Cade wasn’t happy at first when we told him about the pregnancy, but it’s been a few weeks now and he’s definitely coming around. He’s convinced I’m going to have twins and already is suggesting the names Ayden and Cayden because they go with either sex. My first ultrasound appointment is next week, and I’m nervous to find out if he’s right. I can barely handle the thought of one baby, but two?

  It’s so crazy to think that I was sitting around whining about being a twenty-two year old virgin, and I ended up pregnant. I don’t know that the decision we are making is the right one, but I know that I had an incredible childhood and amazing parents, and if I can give this baby even a fraction of that, I will be doing right by them.

  “Is that all of it?” I ask Braxton as he shuts my front door.

  He nods, breathing heavily. “It’s official, you can’t get rid of me now.”

  I glance around at all the newly acquired boxes and belongings taking over my small apartment. “The horror,” I joke with a smile.

  “Did you ever think a year ago we would be here?” Braxton asks.

  I shake my head. “Not in a million years.”

  He chuckles. “I can’t believe how quickly things changed.”

  “Would you take it back?” I ask curiously.

  He steps toward me. “You? Hell no. I’d never take that back. You’re the best decision I ever made.”

  I can’t help the grin that spills over my cheeks. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I look down at the growing belly that now separates us. He runs his hands over it, lifting my shirt a little when he does. “Have any words of wisdom for the little one?”

  Braxton smiles. “Yeah, always go with your heart, even when your mind tells you otherwise. Your heart knows what’s up.”

  I giggle. “That’s it?”

  “And also…” he leans down so his ear is pressed up against my stomach and then he whispers something to my belly.

  When he finally stands, I look him in the eyes. “What did you say?”

  “I told the baby that you’re the love of my life, so they better protect you.”

  I shake my head in disbelief. “Seriously, what planet did you come from? Are you the same Braxton who has been picking on me for the past ten years?”

  “No.” He grabs my hands and then squeezes them. “I’m the same Braxton that has been in love with you for the past ten years.”

  I’m still having trouble digesting his words, but a feeling of love is taking over me. I never thought I would find someone who could make me forget about all the bad things in the world. I never thought that person would be my next-door neighbor. Pressing my lips to his firmly, I kiss him with intent.

  “Make me a promise?” I ask.

  Braxton nods eagerly, his hands immediately at my sides. “Anything.”

  “Promise me that if we find out we are having twins, then we can name them Shelley and Dan.”

  Braxton’s eyebrows raise. “Whatever you want, babe… but is there a reason?”

  I swallow. “That was my parents’ names.”

  His face falls and he pulls me in for a hug. “Of course, baby. Anything you want.”

  I’d actually rather not have twins, but on the off-chance that Cade’s right, I want to be prepared.

  Most people will probably look down on us for having a baby out of wedlock, but I couldn’t be happier. I know this baby is going to be surrounded by so much love and affection it’s never going to know the difference.

  I wonder if our lives turned out anything like our parents hoped they would. We certainly didn’t take the paths that were easy or expected, but I think we ended up where we needed to be.

  Acknowledgements

  Thank you to Krystal, Tina, Karyn, Alifeya, and Kristine for always being so eager to follow the story and characters as I wrote it. You guys were the only reason I kept going even when I wanted to give up after feeling like a failure. Your criticism and praise is always what I look forward to and need to help make a book the best it can be.

  I’ve been struggling with finding a balance between work and writing for a very long time. Thank you guys for making it enjoyable for me with all of the feedback and thoughts you had.

  Thank you to my loyal readers in my reader group and who follow my page along with my Mom for always being my biggest supporter and fan.

  I didn’t have high hopes when I started writing UGC. I’ve said it multiple times that I just needed something easy to work on before delving into the tougher WIP’s I have. UGC ended up being anything but easy. I was so terrified to tell the twin’s stories wrong that at times it stunted my writing process. I really hope I did it justice.

  Don’t forget if you’re not doing something you love, you’re not really living!

  Always,

  Kira Adams

  Sneak peek of Crash. Burn. Sting. by best-selling author, Alora Kate:

  CRASH

  BURN

  STING

  By

  ALORA KATE

  Prologue, Rawson Lorde

  “I’m fucking dead; send me to Hell where I belong!”

  I died two days ago, and Heaven and Hell were fighting over my soul.

  The woman who sat next to me started coughing. I shifted over, disgusted. She did it again, but it sounded more like she was trying to cover up a snicker. Was my fate fuckin’ funny to her? I’m glad I could be a source of entertainment, but I didn’t see anything funny about this at all. I recently learned her name was Oath, and she was my Guardian Angel.

  I didn’t want to believe it, especially someone like me. But here I sat, being judged by both sides.

  They both wanted my fucking soul.

  The Devil deserved my soul, but not God.

  I hated him and had my reasons.

  I didn’t even deserve to be judged. It should have been a simple, send him to Hell deal. I shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be allowed to go to Heaven.

  Never.

  Not ever.

  I didn’t belong in Heaven.

  “He cussed again,” the man in the red suit said, who supposedly was the Devil but went by the name Johnny. His slicked back black hair held too much gel, and his skin was tan. “Clearly, he belongs with me.” He flashed me a smirk and a wink, and I immediately felt a cold chill deep within me.

  I’ve done worse things than use profanity.

  “People use profanity all the time,” Oath spoke up. She lifted her small arm up and pointed at God. “He uses profanity.”

  God shrugged his shoulder like it was no big deal. He was sitting next to the Devil and looked like he was a ten-year-old and went by the name Cash. His blond hair was almost white, and even though he looked like a child, he acted like a man. He didn’t glow, he didn’t have long hair, and he sure as fuck wasn’t tall. Johnny and Cash.

  Johnny fucking Cash.

  I sat here and listened to them debate over me with their ridiculous names, and I realized this was completely insane. But they explained to me that they appear to everyone differently. Every single soul on Earth had a different name for them and saw them differently. Apparently, this is how I saw them, and for some reason, I wanted to call them Johnny and Cash.

  I had a feeling why, but those memories were dead to me.

  Is this shit really happening?

  “Yes, it is.”

  The bitch could read my mind.

  I flicked my gaze toward her and her hazel eyes. “You’re my Guardian Angel,” I hissed, “and you let me die.”

  “I’m not a bitch, and I have rules to follow. I can’t interfere with your actions. Especially when you-”

  “Don’t fucking repeat it,” I warned, and she continued to glare at me. I wasn’t sure what to make of her just yet.

  I looked back to the counsel. Yes, they had a fucking council out in the middle of nowhere, in a room with tanned marble walls that were crumbling down a
round us as we sat here discussing something that clearly didn’t need to be discussed. Apparently, there had to be a Neutral Zone where God and the Devil could handle special cases, like mine.

  “Just let him go,” Johnny said, making eye contact, “with me. I need him.” Dark images flooded my mind while Johnny stared into my eyes like he was giving me a preview of what he had in store for me. I could hear his laugh in my mind, and I fought to look away.

  I knew why he wanted me.

  “He wasn’t always bad,” Oath defended me again.

  There was a short silence, and then Cash decided to speak up, “I agree with Oath, especially after his last good deed.”

  “If I had known,” I didn’t want to say the words, but I forced them out, “that good deed would have killed me, I would never have done it. I would have kept walking and finished the job I was there to do.” I leaned forward in my chair. “I belong in Hell,” I jerked my chin, “with him.”